COUNSELOR TOOLBOX
As you enter my office, you are greeted by colorful bulletin boards that allow kids to select what they are feeling and bright positive posters/messages. I have a round table in the middle of the room where I keep a small box of fidgets/small toys and a coloring book. (I often find my co-workers fiddling with the items when they are feeling overwhelmed and stressed out!) Since I work with very young children (ages 3-8 years old), I use many Play Therapy items during my sessions. I highly recommend the following items that I have found VERY useful.
- Uno is a great game to use to “break the ice.” I feel like all the students have played or “generally” know how to play the game.
- Sand Tray (kinetic sand) with figurienes (toy people/animals/houses/obscure items as well) are very good to get a student to start describing a situation.
- Play Dough and Silly Puddy – Sensory Squeeze Items
- Worry Monsters – I love, love, love my Worry Monsters. I have the kids write down their worries and feed it to the monster to eat it so that they don’t have to worry about it anymore! 🙂
- Sequin Pillows – I have found that these pillows are very CALMING too kids. I have them pet the pillow and as they pet it, they stop crying and seem to settle themselves.
- Bean Bags – Kids love to plop on them and relax.
- Coloring Books and Crayon Bucket
- Lots and lots of Colored Paper
- Favorite GO TO Squeeze Balls
- Journals
- Sound Machine
- Stress Balls
- Worry Stones – I give it the student to rub when feeling nervous/anxious. It works!
- Pipe Cleaners
- Homemade Sensory Bottles
- Conversation Cubes
- Story Cubes
- Big Dice
Board Games